Did ELVIS ever have a Rickenbacker?

mike_smith · Post by **mike_smith** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 1:48 am

Just wondered? Did ELVIS ever have a Rickenbacker?
Seen him with several other makes on the recently released DVD's.

Thanks

tony_carey · Post by **tony_carey** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 12:42 pm

Dunno Mike, but I was suprised to learn that Jim Reeves did!

ratso · Post by **ratso** » Fri Dec 24, 2004 2:08 pm

Never saw him with one. He was typically a Martin and Gibson guy! I don't think anyone in the band used one. Elvis and his music was a big influence on me and the rest of the R&R world. I'm a big Scotty Moore fan as you may be able to tell from this...

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Thu May 19, 2005 5:32 pm

Dont get me wrong... I'm a big Elvis fan... but in reality he cold have been playing a 2x4 up there because a) he really couldn't play very well and b) often they either had him turned way down or off altogether. His guitar was primarily for show... and WHAT a show it was!

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Thu May 19, 2005 8:28 pm

Ron, I love those big Gibson jazz boxes.

Just was in a music store recently and the owner had a vintage one socked away for safe keeping, pulled it out, it was a '43 I think. WOW. Out of my league, pricewise though. At this little store attached to this guy's house off the state road 52.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri May 20, 2005 11:24 am

He couldn't play very good but his rhythm guitar was the backbone of his early rock a billy and country sound.

scottpro1969 · Post by **scottpro1969** » Fri May 20, 2005 11:28 am

Are you serious Bob?? The only time I really heard him play was the '68 Comeback Special which was pretty good. Any other time I've seen him with a guitar it was an acoustic just as a prop. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

porge · Post by **porge** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:16 pm

Kent/Bob

Elvis could play guitar is a tasty ryhtym kinda way - the Early Sun stuff clearly features his chugging acoustic rythym, and is equally important to the early sound as Scotty IMHO

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 8:31 pm

Ron Can I trade you some new pickups for those old ones on that old Gibstonian?

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 8:49 pm

He might have had a 'ricked' back at some stage - Priscilla would have been the cause of it!!

360dave660 · Post by **360dave660** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 10:05 pm

Elvis totally could play rhythm guitar. He was all over the sun sessions. He even did some fender bass work either just before or after his army stint when bill black refused to do so. He also played limited parts of the '69 vegas shows (j 200 & country gent). In the dvd, elvis, that's the way it is, there are some terrific backstage rehersal jams sections with him on accustic and electric that have always been inspiring.

the circus around him has too often drowned out the magnitude of his musical contribution : he could and did sing just about every genre and pulled songs out of nowhere that he had heard as a child, perhaps once. A trip back in time to have seen him in '54 at the Louisana Hayride would be as incredible as one to the Star Klub in Hambürg in '62 (IMHO) !

porge · Post by **porge** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 12:53 pm

I gotta agree with David - You take Scotty out of the mix on a lot of the Early stuff, and Elvis' guitar would still carry the tune nicely.

Not that I'd want Scotty out of the mix!

ratso · Post by **ratso** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 4:48 pm

Scotty changed this rockin' world we live in..big time! And a great gentleman as well. He probably taught Elvis everything he played in those early days.

porge · Post by **porge** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 5:29 pm

No real arguments here... but I'd stress that whilst Scotty's guitar was incredibly important to the Sun and RCA Elvis sound, but Elvis was the key thing here (IMIO). Elvis was the ingredient that sold the records.

Would Elvis had "made it" without Scotty? Absolutely. No Doubt. Would Scotty redefine rock with another singer? No doubt.

britye · Post by **britye** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 4:08 pm

In the end it was a prop. Watching the 68 comeback special was a treat. especially the sit down in the round w/ Scotty, but wasn't there an army buddy hanger on type a guy with him strumming along too. What's with that? What is his name?